


Rebellious Souls

by lovelytomeetyou



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-01
Updated: 2012-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-25 21:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7547761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelytomeetyou/pseuds/lovelytomeetyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Done for the Tokka Week 2012.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: After Kataang Week 2012 (which I surprisingly completed on time), it's time for Tokka Week 2012! This is my first time writing for both these characters and this pairing, so it'll be a great experience. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Mike and Bryan, Nickelodeon and Viacom.

What had once been an organized table filled with highly classified documents and political treaties for the still newly formed Republic City were now a devastated mess of thrown papers and one fallen cup of tea forgotten on the floor. Sokka was happy that, for once, this hadn't been his fault at all. Rather, it was the fault of a young, breathtakingly beautiful woman who was hugging his still sitting form from behind.

He didn't need to turn around to know that Toph was smiling slyly – he could feel it with her lips lightly pressed on his temple – at the mess she'd made. The young woman snickered and Sokka felt his whole body shake slightly, following her movements. With a lazy smile, he reached out for the pale hand that was resting on his shoulder. He held it softly as he turned his face up to meet colorless orbs under playful eyebrows. She was smiling.

"Hey there, meathead." She called him by his nickname affectionately.

"Hey there, chief."

Toph snickered in response.

"Chief, really? I'd think you'd call me by something a little more creative, Snoozles."

At the mention of that old time nickname, Sokka smiled. She'd only call him that when they woke up in the morning, still sleepy and not thinking all-too-well. He secretly loved it.

"Why should I? Chief is fine and I know you love hearing it anyway."

"True." She chuckled as her arms enveloped his torso and her head rested in his shoulders.

Both of them loved moments like this, when they could be "as lovey-dovey and oogie as possible", as Toph called it. They could probably give Aang and Katara a run for their money during these rare moments. Sokka truly missed spending time alone with her, just laying around in the bed and holding each other's bare skin in the wake of the morning. He missed those little moments. Now, however, as watertribe councilman and chief of police, they had obligations now.

And dating was strictly forbidden. But not that Toph cared anyway.

She turned her face in his direction, wearing one of her famous smirks; smirks that could easily give him shivers despite him being a warrior, smirks that only Toph Bei Fong could give. And with that, Sokka knew he was a goner.

He smirked back at her – even though she probably already knew he would do that – and gave her hand a soft squeeze before promptly whispering secretly in her ear.

"Let's break some rules."


	2. Parents

"You're what?" Sokka asked, completely flabbergasted.

The warrior's wide blue eyes only served to fuel her anger. Toph sighed impatiently at her (not so) long time boyfriend. The black-haired girl glared at Sokka with her unseeing eyes. Sometimes she wondered why in the heck she loved the fool.

"Pregnant, Sokka. I'm pregnant!" Receiving no reaction from him, Toph rambled on. "You know, knocked up? With the bread in he oven?" Still no reaction, she could feel with her feat.

Oh, for the earth badgers' sake.

"Are you deaf, Snoozles?"

She mentally slapped herself for using that particular nickname - the one reserved only for their little affectionate moments. Now there was no way he'd take her seriously.

This was too messed up. She shouldn't be telling him this because this simply shouldn't have happened. They- well, she was always careful, always worried to never let their lives change. There was no way she could ever become a good mother. Toph was proud and an expert in tough love, something that just wouldn't work with a baby or a small child. Her role as a teacher for young people hadn't exactly been the highest point of her career either. Aside the Avatar, Toph only felt she could actually teach – and command – other adults, who were usually her officers as well. She could just imagine how she would start the child's training – if he or she even were an earthbender to begin with – as soon as they were began walking… or before, even. This was meant to be a disaster.

But that wasn't her worst fear either. The thought of having a child who suffered from the same limitation she did deeply scared her. And if there was anything that could scare the greatest earthbender in the world, Toph and her allies knew it was serious. Of course, she didn't feel in anyway debilitated or something less than others. She never did. Earthbending had assured she had the means to become independent and fight by herself, for herself.

The black-haired woman still remembered vividly her worst nightmares, in which they either lost the war, she lost Sokka or she was completely and utterly 'blind', as her feet didn't work with her anymore. After those dreams she would always wake up unusually panicky as she held her lover – that word still irked her, even after being with him for years on end – whispering her deepest fears in the silence of the night. Toph couldn't possibly imagine a life without bending, not after everything she'd discovered and how she'd proved herself to the world. And she couldn't imagine giving the sort of life she'd always feared to her child – to Sokka's child. The baby deserved the best, and Toph wasn't sure if she even was the best anymore.

"Toph." The deep voice she knew so well brought her back from her thoughts.

She didn't raise her head nor did she make any movement to acknowledge him as usual; Sokka already knew she was intently listening, waiting for his reaction.

"Toph, there's no need to be afraid." He said quietly, gently holding her petite pale hands. He noticed she visibly relaxed with the contact, but her shoulders were still too tense.

"Who said I was afraid?" The dark-haired woman replied defensively, with her face still downcast.

Sokka chuckled at her response. It was so like Toph to never admit her fears. He admired that aspect of hers; she was a better warrior than he'd ever be.

"No one did, sorry." The water tribe warrior replied easily. He already knew she never liked to be wrong and with time, he learned to be the one to take the fall most of the times. "After all, how could the greatest earthbender in the world ever be afraid of anything?"

At that Toph leaped at Sokka and held him tightly. He could hear her shaky breath, but both knew she wouldn't cry. They stood in the same position for a few moments before Toph said lowly, almost imperceptibly.

"What if the greatest earthbender in the world doesn't turn out to be the best mom?" Even though her tone was sarcastic, it was filled with worry and anxiety.

Sokka sighed and patted her back comfortingly. They didn't have many hugging moments as they were usually simply punching each other or jumping on one another, with no 'oogies' as they liked to call it. These heartfelt moments were rare and they usually left him standing awkwardly with no reaction and Sokka hated it. He knew he shouldn't have frozen in the way he did. He wasn't panicking, nor was he worried at all. He had just been too surprised for words; initially thinking it was all just an elaborate joke. But Toph wasn't the type to joke about subjects like that. Despite her worries, he was almost jumping with joy. He wasn't showing it yet simply out of fear for her reaction.

"I'd say that no one could be the best in everything they do." He answered easily. Smiling warmly, he continued as he hugged her tightly. "But being you, it's definitely a possibility."

Despite herself, Toph smiled. However, her mind was still filled with worries and insecurities – so unlike her usual self. Would she ever feel truly ready for this? She did want to have the child, especially because it was theirs. But she was still so unsure, so afraid.

"But what if the baby is-"

"They'll still be perfect." Sokka answered in a heartbeat.

He didn't have to see those mysterious and beautiful white orbs tear up to know she was crying. The wet spot in his shirt was enough proof.

Both leaned away slightly as Sokka held her face in his tanned strong hands. He noticed with a smile the contrast of their skins and their personality. If the baby had even half of everything Toph was, he knew he or she would be just perfect.

"Nothing bad will happen, okay? It won't be a disaster." He said smiling at her with a decided expression.

Toph didn't need to see to know how much love was emerging from Sokka's eyes right now. She could feel it all around her, with the earth vibrations or the electric touch of his skin against hers. If the baby had even half of everything Sokka was, she knew he or she would be just perfect. For a moment, she let herself relax completely in her love's arms.

"That's a promise, Snoozles." She mocked him with her usual light tone and he laughed heartily in return.

Perhaps it wouldn't be a disaster after all.

. . .

In the end, it hadn't been a disaster at all; those were her thoughts as Toph embraced the small bundle in her arms with the biggest joy in the world. After hours of infernal hell, the sound of a wail and the feeling of a warm body with a steady heartbeat were worth it. The baby held her (now) husband's hand with quite a grip, as Sokka commented with a chuckle how "she was just like her mother" – which earned him a light bump from the very tired earthbender.

Toph was still unsure and afraid. Even though Lin – her daughter's name, Toph repeated fondly – had beautiful green eyes according to Sokka, nothing could tell how her life would turn out. But now, as the dark-haired woman held the newborn baby closely and sang a couple of lullabies from both the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe, Toph knew that wouldn't be important anymore. It didn't matter if Lin was or not a bender. And even if the greatest earthbender in the world didn't become the greatest mother in the world as well, she had the best husband and father in the world right by her side.

Toph wasn't alone nor would she ever be. She never thought she could love another being with such powerfulness before, but feeling the strong heartbeat and comforting warmness of her and Sokka's baby, Toph felt the best she ever did her whole life, never mind the innumerable hours of labor. Whether her baby would become a tough love young lady or a meathead warrior, Lin would always be perfect to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (2012): In my headcanon, Toph did become" the greatest mother in the world" for Lin (with a little of tough love, of course). I love writing about these two.
> 
> A/N (2016): This was written long before Suyin was introduced in Legend of Korra and before Lin's father name was revealed.


	3. Bedtime

The chief of police, Toph Bei Fong, was known for her almost inhuman senses. She could hear a fly from miles away and feel the light steps of an ant underground. At times she was even known for hearing and successfully differentiating one heartbeat from thousands of others or even being able to feel underground paths with just one foot set in the ground. Therefore it was no surprise that the famous earthbender woke up soundlessly as soon as she heard soft footsteps approaching. Tap, tap; the rhythm of those feet were already well known to her – a mixture of both hers and Sokka's way of walking.

Lin.

Indeed, when the girl finally reached her parents' room Toph was already sitting up on the bed waiting for her. Aware that she'd woken up her mother, the four year old blushed profusely as she fiddling with her boomerang-themed pajamas. No one could escape the chief of police's acute listening.

Noticing that her daughter was still shyly standing by the room's door, Toph motioned for her to come closer. Her heartbeat was accelerated but her hands were now at her sides. Lin moved quietly to her mother's side of the bed, careful not to wake her father. But with the way Sokka was snoring, that seemed quite impossible.

Lin was by her mother's side, still not saying anything. Toph silently sensed the girl was still quite anxious, but there was no dripping from her pants. At least she stopped wetting the bed a few months ago, good. The dark-haired woman hugged the petite young girl with equal dark hair in a warm embrace.

"Did you have a nightmare, sweetie?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Toph rarely called Lin with pet names and much less with nicknames – those were reserved for their trainings or the little fun moments in daily life. Most of the times, Toph called both her daughter and husband by their names; she preferred to use nicknames only for special occasions, which were both bad and good. After all, a joke usually loses its laugh with repetition, as Toph knew very well. However now it was different. Lin was scared and she deserved to hear nice and kind words every once in a while, even if it wasn't either her or Toph's style.

Lin nodded, as though ashamed as her cheeks flushed once more. The blood pulse also raised rapidly and Toph noticed she was anxious once more. She held her tighter and whispered once more to her.

"Shh, it's okay. You can have have nightmares too, you know? That doesn't mean you're weak." Lin's small hands firmly grasped Toph's back. The blind woman sighed. "I have nightmares sometimes too. But that doesn't mean I'm weak. It just means you and me – we're human."

"You have nightmares too, mom?" Lin asked bewildered. For her, Toph could never be less than perfect.

Toph smiled sorrowfully before nodding.

"Everyone has nightmares, that just means you're afraid of something. In my case, I'm afraid of returning to a world before the end of the war, when I was a helpless girl who tried to please her parents more than to follow her own dreams." She didn't have to go on detail with that story now. Lin would hear it from her when she was older. "I'm afraid of losing the people I love. I'm afraid of losing my policemen, my friends and most importantly, my family. I'm especially afraid of losing you, Lin."

The little girl was still taking all the information in. Toph gave her a few moments before she continued speaking in the same hushed tone, noticing how the room was now awfully quiet.

"It's okay to be afraid at times. What matters is what you'll do with that fear."

Toph held her daughter's cheeks with her hands and rested her forehead with Lin's. It wouldn't do much to gaze at her daughter with blank eyes, so she conveyed as much feeling as possible through that small touch.

"What will you do with that fear, Lin? Will you cover and hide from it or will you fight it?" Even though she was motherly, Toph couldn't help to bring her usual nasty sergeant-like tone now.

"I'll fight it." The resolve on the four-year old girl was stronger than those of grown men, Toph was proud to notice.

With a smile, she kissed her daughter's forehead.

"That's my girl." Toph answered with a smile.

She could feel Lin's happiness and it wasn't with the help of her super senses. It was more like a mother's sense, as weird as it may sound. But then again, Katara seemed to understand it perfect as well, though she probably didn't count since she had motherly senses even before reaching womanhood.

The snores returned in full force now. Mother and daughter shared a smirk when they heard a particularly loud snore from Sokka. Toph helped Lin get on the bed with a little nod. Lin gratefully took the request and laid in the middle of her parents, Toph to her right and Sokka to her left. The young girl was already looking much more tired and calm now, so Toph decided to wait for tomorrow to ask her what the nightmare had been about. But then again, it didn't matter. Lin would never be left alone, at least now until she would be able to take care of herself well enough and Toph would make sure that would happen.

Lin was now sleeping peacefully, still hugging her mother. The little girl let out little snorts that made Toph laugh. So much like her father. And speaking of which-

"Didn't know you could fake snores so well, Snoozles." The dark-haired woman whispered quietly to her very awake husband.

"Guess there are always surprises in the boringness of wedding life, huh?" He chuckled lightly. Of course, his comment had no truth whatsoever considering how energetic the couple was years after their marriage. Thank the earth badgers they didn't have routine-driven boring lives. But then again, when one lived with Toph and Sokka, nothing could ever be boring.

Sokka turned in the girls' direction with a satisfied smile on his face. There were big bags under his eyes and his beard was too grown for both his and Toph's taste. According to her, it tickled too much to be fun at times. The councilman was finally able to sleep after a couple of all-nighters spent to resolve the newest conflicts in Republic City. Indeed, the city never seemed to sleep, everyday with a new problem.

Truthfully, Toph was also quite tired. It had been too long ever since her last decent bath – of course, it wasn't as fancy or primly as Katara's usual baths, but it was enough for her – and her hair was an absolute mess. Sometimes she was glad she couldn't see herself on the mirror, otherwise she would have to face yet another problem every time she woke up to face a new day.

But the fact that she couldn't see herself didn't bring many problems to her appearance at all. She could take care of herself, as she always had, and with her always-practical metal bending uniform, no time was lost. Sokka would always double-check her before leaving for the council as well, commenting on which colors would suit her best or what type of bag should she buy the next time they went out. Before Toph could punch him for his cheeky words, he would finish his little fashion speech with a warm peck and tell her she was "more beautiful than any other girl in the world". As awfully cheeky as it sounded, Toph loved hearing it.

Lin had taken upon herself to be her mother's personal hairdresser as well – courtesy of aunt Katara – and would spend hours creating new hairstyles for the dark smooth hair she loved. Toph really didn't mind it, but she couldn't let her daughter become too distracted with her training either – like a certain Avatar and uncle Aang. After every little "hair and make-up session", Toph would take Lin to the grounds and train her for hours on end in the art of earthbending. Thankfully, the girl thought of it as an honor and deeply admired and respected her parents and their efforts to teach her. After all, it wasn't everyone that had the greatest earthbender in the world for a mother.

"You did well." Sokka told her before yawning tiredly.

Soon enough he was already sound asleep and the snores were real this time. So quick to fall asleep; like father like daughter indeed. Toph wasn't sure if he meant about Lin's little nightmare incident or with the whole motherhood subject in general. In the end, Toph realized she didn't care. She smiled as she pecked Lin's cheek and gave her husband's hand a light squeeze before closing her own eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (2012): I just had to write Lin a little more. This is chronically the last chapter of these stories, since the next ones will focus on the couple when they were younger, mostly being Toph centric. Of course, they're all my interpretation of these characters' relationships, just like this story is also an interpretation. There will probably be an oneshot about Lin and Sokka's relationship, regardless of them being actually related or not.


	4. Duty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (2012): All the chapters now are set between ATLA and ALOK before Lin was born so the focus will be on the changes in their lives and their relationship. Day Four works as a comparison with Day Two and Three, showing Toph's mindset before she had Lin. Set eighteen years after the war.

Toph's life, while always active and never boring, was also somewhat stable and grounded. Being the chief of police gave her much responsibility while it still provided the action she longed for. Her sole duty was to the metalbending police of the still new Republic City. The police force grew day by day and the number of interested recruits never lessened. Only some of those recruits ever became part or Chief Bei Fong's squadron since she only wanted the very best. And the very best she had indeed, as a result from heavy and training and never-ending perseverance from her subordinates. As chief, she was their leader, their mentor and their role model.

But Sokka was different. His duty, however, lay in many places: the Southern Water Tribe, his home and where he would eventually become chief was his main residence while he also took the job of a councilman in Republic City, working together with her to achieve peace; he used his words and papers while Toph used her metal and lying detecting sense. Sokka was always travelling from one place to another, which probably explained why he still wasn't married. He didn't have a permanent home; rather, he had a set of homes he would live during different times of the year. Toph was pleased to notice Sokka spent most of his time in Republic City. Not just because he was an excellent help, but also because she longed for his company – not that she would ever say that, of course.

Sometimes she would daydream about possibilities, hopes for a future together as a couple before reality brought her back with a bucket of cold water. Small comments and observations, little jokes Sokka made hinted at his wish of having something more permanent in his life.

A home. A family. Things she could never give him.

Her duty was to the police, to the people of Republic City. Toph didn't have time for this type of thing – worse, she was too afraid to even consider it as a possibility. Her childhood was enough proof of how just parental love wasn't enough to raise a child. And while her parents had loved her very much and eventually learned to accept her as she was, Toph had no idea how she could even do that. She wasn't fit for that type of life, for that type of comfort and warmness that a full, happy home could give. Her happiness lay with her loyal crew; with the success of another arrest; with helping her students to be able to perform a correct bending move.

Love and respect brought her closer to him. Duty drifted her away from him.


	5. Lost

Toph hated the feeling of being lost. Due to her earthbending senses, she almost never felt lost or blind. She could see everything from miles away with her feet. As long as there was earth – and even metal and sand later on – Toph was never lost. The soft and comforting soil was brought the completeness she'd only ever felt with the earth badgers in that lost cave from her childhood days.

That was also why she hated being up in the air – even if she loved dear old Appa – or worse, plunged in the deep waters. There was no ground there and when she'd finally reach it… that would be too late. The terrible sensation of falling without being able to see or to stop gave her chilling nightmares.

There had only been a couple of occasions when Toph almost fell or drowned into her doom and both of them had been before the war's end. The first time she had almost drowned in the Serpent's Pass and Sokka hadn't been the one who saved her – Toph would never be able to forget the most embarrassing moment of her life when she thanked Suki, believing the warrior girl was her long time crush.

Nor would she forget the second – and deadliest – time either. On the day of the comet, the day that would forever decide the fate of the world and perhaps end that horrible war, they'd almost died. Destroying the airships turned out to be a challenge considering how unprepared they were. Sokka only had his sword and precious boomerang while she was absolutely useless on air. And everything started going wrong the minute Suki disappeared and Sokka started panicking. Toph knew he'd had given everything to be next to his girlfriend and protect her, never let go of her. But he had been stuck with her on top of those hellish airships - her, the self-called most powerful bender in the world who was useless up on air. And yet, he had protected her with all his will.

The sound of the falling metal scraps banging the falling airship still brought her chills. She could remember as if it were yesterday the feeling of being in his arms, safe and complete. And she could also remember the comforting touch of his sweaty palm as she slowly began slipping from his hold. Up on the airships they were surrounded by firebenders and Sokka had lost both of his weapons. She was utterly blind, hanging on to him with every fiber of her being, absolutely terrified.

When she was young, Toph had never thought much about how she would die. She figured she would go down in an epic fight of earthbending and proving her worth to the next generations, but that notion became dimmer with the development of the war. In each battle she risked too much and even though she could defend herself, she was not invincible. Without her feet – her 'eyes' as she could softly call them – she was blind, tiny and weak.

Those were the situations she feared the most. Those were the times she was truly lost. And yet she agreed to go along with Sokka on the day of the Comet, up in the air and its terrifying nothingness. She wouldn't let him do all the work and most importantly, she wouldn't lose him. Never him.

When the time for a possible death came, Toph cried. Her tears weren't ones of fright or panic – no, they were ones of sadness and worry. Worry for her friends and allies who were still fighting and she had no idea how they were and worry for him, who was completely alone in this hopeless fight. Still, if he had a single fighting chance – and she knew he always had, with his brilliant mind and strategies – without her in the way, it would be worth it.

Toph didn't consider her resolve as giving up. She would never give up. She was the strongest earthbender ever and that would never change. Of course, she also had weaknesses like everyone else. Hers just happened to be both: her feet and a sarcastic meat-headed guy.

No matter how strong and independent Toph prided herself in being, she was lost without him.


	6. Loose Cannon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loose cannon: an unpredictable or uncontrolled person who is likely to cause unintentional damage.

Toph bit back an unwanted sob. She would not be weak now – not now, not ever. Her fingers traced the deep scars that covered the skin she grew to love. Not too soft or too rough, the warm skin under her fingers told stories of battles. It was the skin of a warrior, just like hers. But she couldn't touch that skin now. Not yet, since the blood from the most recent – and biggest – scar yet was still drying and the sense of blood attacked her olfactory senses. She almost couldn't stand the terrible smell of blood. Almost.

The black-haired woman inspired deeply, trying to remember the scent of Iroh's sweet jasmine tea and avoid the upcoming nausea. It had been much worse just a little while ago when Katara was performing her waterbending healing. Now the blood was slowly drying and it was bearable to stand next to him. Even though Katara advised her to stay farther away until the blood dried completely, Toph didn't move an inch. The chief of police hated being in the hospital, even when she was the ill one, but nothing could make her move from that spot.

She silently cursed under her breath as she felt the burning sensation of tears in her unseeing eyes. Sokka would not see her like this. He had already seen her crying far too times to make her comfortable.

There was a grunt from the lying body by her side and Toph instantly turned to him, forgetting the tears. She realized it was too late when she felt his eyes bore into her soul. Toph knew how people looked at her – especially Sokka. She couldn't picture his blue eyes because she didn't know how blue looked, but she knew his eyes were intense. Those were the eyes of a warrior – like hers.

"I guess I'm probably dreaming. There's no way the mighty chief of police could be crying, right?" Sokka mocked lightly in an attempt to break the building tension.

His response was a broken sob and a heavy punch in his unwounded arm. He flinched. Thank the spirits Toph hadn't touched his other still bleeding arm or his heavily bandaged led – courtesy of a gang of criminals in Republic City.

"Sokka, you idiot!" Toph cried between hiccups. Her voice seemed unnatural with those sobs. "Why do you always have to do the stupidest things to save others? Think about yourself a little, you stupid meathead!" She punched him another time, this time lighter, just for emphasis.

"Toph..." The watertribe warrior sighed tiredly. "You know I couldn't leave you there. There were at least two dozens of criminals there and half of your fleet was already down! These gangs are becoming too strong…"

"I don't care! That's not enough reason to risk your safety, idiot!" She didn't others were looking at them. She never cared about others' opinions anyway. "You… you always do that. Trying to save me when I can deal with it on my own…" She bit back a sob. "Why, Sokka? Why do you risk yourself so much?"

Sokka looked fondly at the black-haired woman in front of him. Toph had grown and matured over the years from a confident and adorable little girl to an equally confident and attractive woman. But after all this time, she still didn't seem to understand.

"Isn't it obvious?" He smiled as he held her hand with his unwounded arm. "How could I not risk myself for the woman I love?"

Toph instinctively squeezed his hand in response. Toph turned her face down so that he couldn't see the current mess she was. She had never seen her face, but right now it must've been absolutely horrible with all this crying and scrunching.

She never knew how to act during these moments when Sokka would ditch the sarcasm and start making loving comment. She was too awkward, too scared to do anything more than punch him lightly and blush nonstop. Toph cursed herself; how could earthbending be so much easier than this jumble of feelings she always had next to the watertribe man?

She replied with the only way she knew how: mocking him.

"Idiot." Darling. "You're so stupid." You're a genius. "I can't believe how I stand you." I can't be without you. "You stupid, meathead self-called warrior."

Thank the spirits Sokka became fluent with Toph-language over the years.

He squeezed her hand and Toph just knew he had to be smirking.

"Hey, don't forget sarcasm..."

"Sokka!" Toph scolded him without bite. "Fine."

With a dramatic sigh, Toph started doing what she liked best: mocking Sokka. "Idiot, stupid, meathead and sarcastic buffoon... You're definitely a loose cannon with all the damage you cause."

"Hey!" Sokka replied indignantly in a high-pitched voice. Toph remembered with a smirk how his voice would go off tune when they were teenagers. "It's not like I'm the only loose cannon here!" Realizing what he'd just said, Sokka shut up.

Oh, Toph would definitely beat him this time around. Except, the punch never came. Reuniting his courage and warrior pride, the blue-eyed man looked up to his long time partner. Instead of a smirk, there was a smile in Toph's face. For once, the strict chief of police allowed herself a real smile – no smirks, no mocking – just a tear stricken smile.

"You're right." She answered with a soft voice that matched that beautiful smile perfectly.

Sokka smiled back at her with renewed energy. If being careless and getting hurt would earn him one of these rare smiles, it was definitely worth it.

"Two idiots who don't care about themselves... We deserve each other."

Still holding each other's hands, both warriors exchanged a smile. Toph didn't need to see to know Sokka was smiling at her, just as Sokka didn't need seismic sense to know her heart was beating wildly. Two selfless warriors, two erratic fools, two loose cannons… they certainly deserved each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (2012): I can't really write angst without cheesy fluff in the end, hehe.


	7. Moment of Truth

Feet glued to the warm soil, fists tighter than ever. For all of those who knew Chief Bei Fong, this was her fighting stance – one to be taken very seriously. However, Toph wasn't preparing for a battle now. Oh no, she was preparing for something much worse.

Toph breathed in deeply. The feeling of earth between her toe fingers made her relax a little; earth meant stability and security and she definitely needed this now. Thank the spirits she'd waited for this moment rather than just babbling it all out when they were still in the South Pole with that freezing, unseeing ice. She couldn't even barefoot in that wintery hell (oh, the irony) and her single attempt to do so left her with mild burns until the end of their visit a couple of days ago.

But now, close to her beloved earth and actually seeing once more, Toph felt secure. She could see everything: from the vibrations coming from the smallest ant to the heavy steps of the biggest man, from the fallen leave next to Zuko's statue in the middle of the square and the soft rumblings of new vehicle prototypes. In the beginning processes of building the Republic Cities, she had felt unsecure; there was too much concrete and too less earth. Now she could see just as well when stepping on the concrete ground of the cities, but she still preferred to stand on the grass. The central square proved to be the perfect place to her: it had small, but well cared patches of grass that people usually avoided to step on. That was her favorite spot to be in when there was a public announcement: she was still nearby the large group and also closest to the earth.

This time was different, though. As if the earth knew it (and that was a silly thought even for the Avatar, Toph snickered), the vibrations were more rhythmic this time around. The flowing breeze passed through her as if it was softly pushing her forward.

It was silly – Toph knew that.

But somehow, this seemed to be the right time. After all, how many times had she imagined how this moment would be – should it ever happen – and how he would react. Would he smile one of his silly smiles and hug her? Would he be sad, ashamed of her? Would he be simply angry with her? Would he be taken aback and want distance? The possibilities were endless. She had been too scared to act up until now.

Up until now.

With a deep breath, Toph started walking steadily, purposefully, at her target. She could already hear his heartbeat, her his deep and warming voice, feel his lingering touch… She was ready.

There was no time to think. She couldn't stop. Because if she did, she may never know. And not knowing made it more difficult than ever. She had no idea how romance worked or if she had what it took to make relationship works. But she was a fighter. If there was one thing everyone knew – or should know – about Toph Bei Fong, it was that she didn't give up.

The words left her mouth in a fluid sentence, softly, but also strong (like her).

"Hey, Snoozles, I have something to tell you."

And suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore. Listening to Sokka's heartbeat quickening – just like her own – and feeling his smile in her cheek as he embraced her warmly, she felt content.

Sokka always made her braver, more rebellious, after all. And she did the same to him, of course. With Toph, Sokka would go to lengths unimagined before, think of impossible schemes that actually worked and finally find the comfort he always longed for – laced with sweet sarcasm, even. They complemented each other; one helping the other with a crazy plan or a well thought joke.

Wild, unstoppable and rebellious, that's what they were called. And their response was simply an exchanged knowing smile, for they already knew the answer.

They were truly rebellious souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (2012): Thank you all for the kind feedback and your patience! This was a fun ride, guys. I hope to see you all again next year in the new week (and this time do it in the right time as well!).


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